Curtain-holding device.



PATENTED NOV. 14, 1905.

- P. A. HOUGHTALING.

CURTAIN HOLDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1904.

. 4W4 \Q w v 4 Q Q N a Q .wmmw Z 1 I I i hi2 J M a 7 J) m *w Q. u q W7 0UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFlCE.

PAUL A. HOUGHTALING, OF RIVERTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE CURTAINSUPPLY ooMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW JERSEY.

CURTAIN-HOLDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1905.

Application filed September 24,1904. Serial No. 225,801-

To all whom it .moty concern:

Be it known thatI, PAUL A. HOUGHTALING, a citizen of the'United States,residing at Riverton, in the county of Burlington and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCurtain-Holding Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in mechanism or devices foroperating the holding-rods which are usually placed in the lower ends ofcurtains such as are found in railway-vehicles, said invention havingfor its object the provision of simple, convenient, and relativelyinexpensive means whereby such curtain-rods may be moved longitudinally,so as to be gripped to or released from the guides or runways in whichthe ends of said rods or the shoes carried by said ends operate. Thisobject I attain as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in whicl1- Figure 1 is a front elevation of thelower end of a curtain equipped with my invention. Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional elevation of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a sectional plan view of that portion of my device shown in Fig. 2,taken on the line 3 3 of said figure. Fig. 4 is a front elevationsimilar to Fig. 2, showing a slightly-modified form of my invention.Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, andFig. 6 is a front elevation of another modification of my invention.

1n the above drawings, A represents a portion of a curtain at whoselower edge is carried atubular structure B. Within this latter are thetwo curtain-rods O and C, each carrying at its outer end a shoe 0, whichmay, if desired, be provided with projecting portions or rollers 0 forengagement with the sides or bottom of the guide for the curtain.Manifestly this shoe or guide-engaging portion of the device may bealtered or changed at will.

Fastened to the central portion of the tubular structure B is a disk orplate D, revolubly held in position by means of a screw d, which isthreaded into the structure B. From the lower portion of the plate Dextends a bandle (Z and there is a second similar handle 01 fixed to andprojecting from the part B. A curved spring d may be confined betweenthe adjacent faces of these two handles, so as to separate them as faras possible.

fixed to it a handle al As shown in Fig. 3, the adjacent ends of thecurtain-rods each have a projecting pin or lug 0 which extends throughan elongated slot in the tubular structure B into curved cam-slots 0V,so placed that one end is nearer the center of rotation of the plate Dthan is the other.

It will be seen that the spring (Z normally maintains the curtain-rods,which are freely movable within the structure B, so that they pressagainst the guideways on the curtain or window-frame. When, however,pressure is exerted upon the two handles CV and d so that the former ismoved toward the latter by the rotation of the plate on its pivotalscrew d, the cam-surfaces of the slots 6Z cause the pins 0 andconsequently the curtain-rods O and C, to move toward each other,thereby withd rawing the shoes 0 from engagement with the guideways andpermitting free motion of the curtain up or down.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5 instead of holdingthe plate. D in position by means of the pivot-screw, as in Figs. 1 to3, I form heads on the pins 0 as indicated at 0 which accomplish thesame purpose as did the screw cl.

If desired, my invention may be so constructed as to act upon but one ofthe curtainrods, as shown in Fig. 6, .in which one of the curtain-rods,as C is permanently fixed to the tubular structure B, while the otherrod, C, as before, is provided with a pin 0 passing through a slot insaid structure, which has The screw d pivotally supports a cam-plate D,having a single groove 6Z8, similar in form to one of those shown inFig. l and constructed to move the rod O longitudinally in the structureB when the handle d, which is attached to or is formed as a part of saidcam-plate, is moved toward the handle 03 on the part B.

' Having thus described my invention, Iclaim and desire to secure byLetters Patent* 1. Thecombination of a curtain, a curtainrod thereforhaving a portion constructed to coact with a runway, a tubular housingfor said rod and means including a cam arranged without the housing andmovable in a plane parallel to the axis of the curtain-rod, and aportion coacting therewith for moving said portion of the rod toward andfrom the runway, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a curtain, a curtainrod therefor having a portionconstructed to coact with a runway, a tubular housing for said rod,means for pressing said rod toward said runway, and means including acam arranged without the housing and movable in a plane parallel to theaxis of the curtain-rod, and a portion. coacting therewith for releasingthe rod from the runway, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a curtain, a curtainrod therefor having a portionconstructed to coact with a runway, a tubular housing for said rod, aspring tending to force the rod toward said runway, a projection on therod and a cam on the curtain arranged without said housing, with meansfor moving the cam in a plane parallel to the axis of the curtainrod torelease the rods from the runway, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a curtain having a guiding structure adjacent toits lower edge, a curtain-rod in said structure having a portion formedto coact with a runway, a plate formed with a cam-slot therein carriedby said guiding structure movable in a plane parallel to the axis of thecurtain-rod, and a projection on the rod entering said cam-slot,substantially as described.

5. The combination of a curtain having two relatively movable partsconstructed to engage runways at opposite sides of said curtain, a platepivotally mounted on the curtain to rotate in a plane parallel totheaxis of said parts, and formed with a cam-slot therein, and a projectionfrom one of the parts placed to enter said cam-slot, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination of a curtain carrying two relatively movable partsconstructed to engage runways at the edges of said curtain, a platepivotally mounted on the curtain to rotate in a plane parallel to theaxis of said parts, and provided with a cam-surface, and a projectionfrom one of the parts placed to be engaged by said cam-surface, with afixed handle carried by the curtain and a second handle on said platesubstantially as described.

7. The combination of a curtain carrying two relatively movable partsfor engaging runways at the edges of said curtain, a plate pivotallymounted on the curtain movable in a plane parallel to the axis of saidmovable parts and provided with a cam-surface, a pro jection-from one ofthe parts placed to be engaged by said cam-surface, a fixed handlecarried by the curtain and a second handle on the said plate, with aspring tending to force said handles apart and the movable parts intoengagement with the runways, substantially as described.

8. A curtain-fixture comprising two relatively movable rods each havinga portion to coact with a runway, a plate movable in a plane parallel tothe axis of the curtain-rods and having two cams formed therein, andportions on the rods coacting with said cams for moving therunway-engaging portions of the rods relative to the runways. I

9. A curtain-fixture comprising two rods one movable relative to theother each having a portion to coact with a runway, a plate movable in aplane parallel to the axis of the curtain-rods and having twooppositely-disposed cams formed therein, means operatively associatedwith one of said cams, and a portion of the movable rod coacting withsaid other cam for moving its runway-engaging portion relative to therunway.

10. A curtain-fixture comprising two relatively movable rods each havinga portion to coact with a runway, a plate movable in a plane parallel tothe axis of the curtain-rods and having two cams formed therein, andportions of said rods coacting with said cams for moving therunway-engaging portions of the rods relative to the runways, incombination with a fixed pinch-handle and an oppositelydisposedpinch-handle carried by the plate.

11. A curtain-fixture comprising two rods one movable relative to theother and each having a portion to coact with a runway, a plate movablein a plane parallel with the axis of the curtain-rods, and having two0ppositely-disposed cams formed therein, means operatively associatedwith one of said cams, and a portion 'on the movable rod coacting withthe other cam for moving its runwayengaging portion relative to therunway, in combination with a fixed pinch-handle and anoppositely-disposed pinch-handle carried by the plate.

PAUL A. HOUGHTALING. Witnesses:

Jos. H. KLEIN, WILL. A. BARR.

